Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread

[Bob Holmes]

Jason, Dave, Steve et. al.:  Terrific celebration today!!  Kudos to all who worked so hard to make it happen!

Bob

[Brendan Barry]

Trout Brook station over the last week.

[Dave Buczkowski]

To the Great WW&F Volunteers;
Today was the Grand Opening of the Mountain Extension. As is par for the course, WW&F volunteers outdid themselves. On an incredibly hot and humid day every person did there job safely, competently and with a big smile. I think the engine crews may have lost 10 lbs a piece. All of the guests I spoke with were effusive with their praise. Several mentioned to me how attentive the train crew was to them especially in making sure they had water. It did not go unnoticed that we had smiling crews serving cake and cookies and manning the gift shop. Kudos also go out to the crews that worked long days for weeks so our celebration could come off flawlessly. There were even things that I didn’t think of like the touch up paint work that Stewart did on the bridge so that it looked perfect for our guests.
I received many complements on your behalf about how WW&F volunteers set the gold standard.
So thank you one and all for your selfless efforts.
The Mountain Extension project was our most ambitious to date. It involved hundreds of volunteers, some, sadly, no longer with us. All involved should be proud to say they had a part in its success

You are the best! I could not be prouder or more humbled by your efforts and dedication. You all deserve a big round of applause. Now I must go grab a tissue to wipe the “sweat” that has appeared in my eyes.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Dave

[Mike Fox]

So many photos today..all started with a meeting..







A Nice sign



Bill R. Looking for signals at Sutters crossing.



AC activities..





























More tomorrow...

[Mike Fox]

The full train stopped at the red flag



Removal of the flag



Take 2



And 3



Got it.. Stand and all..



Trout Brook





I missed a good shot of the moxie bottle breaking

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Thank you so much for those pics of that historic moment.

[Chris Dadson]

Congratulations on completing this remarkable project. The WW&F is getting better and better.

What is the length of the newly extended line between Sheepscot and Trout Brook?

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

3.5 miles alltogether.The Mountain Extension section is 1.04 miles long.

[Joe Fox]

Yesterdays celebration was truly incredible. What an honor to be able to host such a Grand Opening occasion. Hopefully the speeches were videoed.

From seeing the RoW with trees, seeing the rails discovered at ToM, hiking the railroad grade several times, seeing the rebuilding of the grade, organizing track material prep and helping with work weekends, and be around as much as possible, it is truly an impressive stretch of railroad.

To everyone who contributed as little as an hour, or several hundred plus hours, a job well done. Steve Lennox, you and your crew did phenomenal work to ensure the mountain was completed on time.

I look forward to seeing and helping with future track projects that may lay ahead.😁

[Ted Miles]

I have been following the Mountain Extension work for the last five years. I knew that the Mass Bay Railroad Enthuisasts had made a grant to build the bridge. But not that earlier members of the group had been on an excursion over the same bridge when it was still in New Hampshire!

Congrats to all the people who worked so hard; especially Mike Fox with his earth moving and wall building skills! The new station went up in a flash; thank you!

Ted Miles, Life Member, Build 11 Contributor

[James Patten]

Actual new mileage between the two platforms is .88 miles, or from MP 7.33 (from TOM platform) to MP 8.22 (TBS platform).  Total length 3.38 miles.

[Mike Fox]

Thanks for the Kudos Ted but I could not have done it alone. None of us could. Team work.

Everyone has played a part in this extension becoming a reality, and one group of which has yet to be mentioned. The donors. Without funding, whether it was grants, donations, awards, or what have you, we would still be inching along as funding allowed. A huge thank you to them.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Great photos, Mike.

Jeff S.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Grand Opening of the Mountain Extension photo albums - Part 1 and 2 have been posted on the railway's Facebook page.  Thanks to everyone who made the day such a great event, the success shows in the pictures. 

The opening excursion and the celebration at Alna Center went very well but I think the reunion of so many friends was almost as good. 

[Ed Lecuyer]

Direct links to the Facebook posts Stewart created - A Facebook account is not needed to view these.

Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/WWFRailway/posts/pfbid0bRMZh77eovviz88L3AeD2b1ApioUoGCoQdbFcidKNHTbnyS5Vdh1uu6xEtV5uGRMl

Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/WWFRailway/posts/pfbid02rfX3ySumcmkzmEhcKriJVrGMUEEQa5wmL3Au6BS9WduTbgbXrgAaL7rHdBBqQwnel